Villagers seek MP`s help to repossess idle land

Mkwaya village residents in Lindi Region have called on the government to work on complaints about an investor, known by one name as Durbai, who allegedly took their land but has not been using it.

The call was made by the residents recently through Lindi Urban legislator Salum Khalfani Bar’wani at a public rally to thank the electorate for voting him.

Presenting the request on behalf of fellow villagers, village chairman Twalibu Bakari said since Durbai took the area in 1988 allegedly for putting up a timber factory, he has since not put the area to any use.

Twalibu said since a village council meeting agreed to allocate 50 hectares to the investor, he has never put up the proposed timber factory as he had pledged to do.

“As of now the parcel of land is a bush while some villagers would like to put it to good use. They have been told by the investor to plant only non-permanent crops such as maize,” he said.

The chairman said the investor was violating their rights to land use as they would like to put the piece of land under agricultural production, which they cannot do so because the land legally belongs to the absent 'investor'.

He said during the past 30 years the villagers had complained to district and national leaders with a view to repossessing the land to no avail.

The MP asked the residents to be patient while working on the matter, and asked the village leaders to provide him with the agreement on the acquisition of the parcel of land and other relevant documents.

Earlier information had it that the 'investor' actually owns 90 hectares in the village.